Waters gets 20 years for extortion in O'Hair case

Published: Saturday, March 31, 2001

AUSTIN {AP} David Waters, the alleged mastermind behind the slaying of atheist activist Madalyn Murray O'Hair, and two of her family members, was sentenced Friday to 20 years in prison on a federal extortion charge.

Waters, 54, admitted in January that he did "threaten and commit physical violence" to O'Hair, 76, her son Jon Garth Murray, 40, and granddaughter and adopted daughter Robin Murray O'Hair, 30.

The three were found in January buried in a shallow grave on a remote Hill Country ranch.

U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks agreed to send Waters to a federal prison in Illinois, near where Waters has family, and "As far away from me as possible."

Waters pleaded guilty to a single extortion conspiracy charge in exchange for leading investigators to the bodies. Prosecutors agreed to drop the other charges in the case and recommend that he be transferred to federal prison. Waters already is serving 60 years on a state robbery conviction. That sentence will be served when his federal time is finished.

Asked if he wanted to say anything, Waters said, "I have nothing to say, your honor."

Although forensic analysis couldn't determine a specific cause of death for any of the three, a hole in Jon Murray's skull indicated he was shot. He was buried with a plastic bag over his head.

The family disappeared from San Antonio in 1995 along with $500,000 in gold coins. The money to buy the coins had been taken from the family's atheist organizations.

Investigators say Waters masterminded a kidnapping and robbery scheme which ended when the O'Hairs were killed. The coins were never recovered.